Holding On to Faith
by soulmates526
Summary: A story about Jesse and Maxie and how their relationship is affected by the epidemic in Port Charles.
1. Chapter 1

**Holding on to Faith**

**(Jexie Fan-fiction)**

**Chapter One:**

It had been a long and not all together pleasant day for Maxie. She was late for class again after staying up until 2 AM studying the night before. In between classes she got drenched as rain poured down from the sky- thanks to the weather report – she had no umbrella to keep her dry. Usually Maxie enjoyed the rain as it reminded her of that wonderful summer she spent on the run and in the arms of her gorgeous better half, Jesse. Today was different though. For whatever reason, all day Maxie had been plagued by a feeling deep in her gut that something terrible was about to happen. People usually criticized Maxie for trusting her instincts, as they usually lead to trouble, she couldn't deny this- except that the one time she was right it led her straight into the arms of the best person to ever grace her life.

Maxie ran into her dorm as the rain continued to pour- the only thing making her feel better was knowing that tonight she was going to spend time with Jesse. They had both been busy lately- Maxie going to school and helping Lucas cope with his decision to come out to his family- and Jesse just trying to get by on his limited salary as a detective and dealing with the constant threat of Manny Ruiz- and the whole Port Charles mob scene. As every bit of Maxie dripped with water she struggled to find her key somewhere lost at the bottom of her purse.

"Where is it…… come on……Ah! Got it! This would be so much easier if Brook Lynne still lived here; she always got back from class before me. Although I enjoy having the room to myself…. it's definitely useful when Jesse and I want some alone time" Maxie thought to herself as a smirk spread across her face.

As she opened the door and flipped on the light her eyes fell upon a white Lilly that had been placed on her pillow with a note. She walked over picked up the flower, pressed it against her lips, feeling the softness that reminded her of Jesse's sweet kisses. She then opened the note and read:

_Maxie_

_I'm so sorry but I have to cancel tonight. Believe me when I say I would much rather hold you in my arms then take this assignment, but I have no choice. I will call you first thing tomorrow morning. I promise I'll make it up to you. Sleep well. Be Safe._

_Thinking of you always _

_Jesse_

"Great, now what am I supposed to do!" said Maxie as a tear fell from her eye. "I guess I'll shower, watch some TV, and turn in early tonight". Maxie did just that. After her shower she put on one of Jesse's shirts that she had stolen from him, and got into bed. She flipped through the channels, watching some of _Law and Order_. Sometimes she and Jesse would watch it together and he would make comments about how "…that's not what really happens" or "…. The process is much more complicated than that…" She would always laugh and just smile at him and his beautiful blue eyes. That particular episode involved the death of women from what was thought to be some bio-chemical agent released in the city. As Maxie watched the episode, whenever she saw Detective Briscoe and Logan in action she couldn't help think of Jesse and Lucky, hoping and praying that whatever caused him to cancel tonight wasn't dangerous, that he would be safe.

When _Law and Order_ was over Maxie turned off the TV, set the alarm so she wouldn't be late for class the next morning, and placed her cell phone on her nightstand, ready for Jesse to call. Then she turned off the light and fell asleep. It was a restless sleep, despite how tired she was, Maxie tossed and turned for hours, when all of a sudden there was a large CRACK of thunder… it was so loud it shook Maxie's bed, and she woke up in a cold sweat…. And that's when the phone rang…..


	2. Chapter 2

**Holding on to Faith**

**(Jexie Fan-fiction)**

**Chapter Two:**

**…**Maxie glanced at the clock on the table and saw the red lights flashing 12. The power must have gone out. She picked up the phone and answered immediately.

"Hello?" Maxie said quickly.

"Maxie, its Dad… you need to get down to General Hospital immediately".

"Mac, what happened? Is it Jesse? Is something wrong?" Maxie frantically began asking questions almost without breathing, before she heard Mac on the other end.

"Maxie, calm down, I'm not going to tell you anything until you get here. Now drive safe, the weather is horrible outside. Remember stay calm, relax, everything is going to be fine". And then Mac hung up. A thousand and one thoughts were running through Maxie's head as she threw off her covers, ran to the closet, pulled on some jeans, put on a navy zip-up sweatshirt over Jesse's shirt, grabbed her purse, keys, cell phone, and ran out the door.

Maxie ran to her car, jumped in and started on her way to General Hospital. The weather WAS really bad; it was raining so hard she couldn't turn the windshield wipers on fast enough. She couldn't drive more than 30 miles an hour. "I'll never get there at this rate" she thought. Then she remembered she hadn't called Jesse yet. She quickly dialed his number and waited as it began to ring. "Come on pick up Jesse…. Pick up!" thought Maxie. Then she heard a rather tired voice on the other end, "Hello?"

It had been a long and exhausting night for Jesse. He had been looking forward to seeing Maxie all day long. He had even planned on sharing a special surprise with her, that is until, he and Lucky got called into Mac's office. They were put on a special assignment, starting immediately, and they were not to discuss it outside of the office. Jesse usually told Maxie what cases he was working on, no matter what Mac said, but this time he wasn't going to tell her. Jesse knew how Maxie loved to take things on and prove them herself; it was part of what he loved most about her, even if it did piss him off. This case was different though. It was much too dangerous for Maxie to know anything about. He hoped that she wouldn't be upset and even left her a Lily with a note. He was going to call her tomorrow morning, until he was awaken by his cell phone ringing in his ear. He was going to turn it off until he saw it was Maxie. He knew it was late and that she had an early class, for her to call at this hour was serious, something was wrong.

"Jesse! Thank God! You're okay, right? Everything is okay? I had this bad feeling all night something was going to happen and then Mac called and told me to get to the Hospital right away, but he wouldn't tell me why or who or what, and …..

"Maxie! Maxie! Slow down" interrupted Jesse. "I'm fine. Are you alright? You sound upset? What's going on?"

"Okay, okay, I'm fine… at least I think I'm fine…. Mac just called me, he wouldn't say what was going on, only that it was important for me to try and get to General Hospital. So I jumped in my car, I'm on my way now, and that's when I called you" Maxie said quickly in what sounded like one breath.

"Maxie, you're driving in this weather and talking to me on the phone, you know how I hate when people do that! I've seen some crazy accidents that could have been prevented if the drivers had only been more careful!" shouted Jesse.

"Jesse! I did not call you to be yelled at! I know you hate people driving and talking at the same time, but this was an emergency" cried Maxie. "Will you meet me at the hospital, I have this horrible feeling, and I need Jesse the cop to hang up his holster and show up as Jesse the boyfriend, ready to be my support, please".

"Alright Maxie, calm down, of course I'll be there, just _please,_ _please_ be careful driving. The last thing I need is for you to get yourself in a hospital bed. I'll be there as soon as I can". Jesse hung up the phone, placed his head in his hands and sighed. Then he got up, got dressed, and headed to the hospital, hoping for Maxie's sake that everything _was_ okay. He could never take seeing Maxie in pain in any way, he needed her to be okay, _really_ okay.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: **

At the hospital Mac waited for the doctors to update him on what was going on. Everything had happened so suddenly he really didn't have time to process the whole situation; he just jumped into action doing what was necessary. He was going over and over in his head trying to think if he had taken care of everything, because he wasn't sure how long he was going to be in the hospital- it didn't really matter how long he needed to be here, because he wasn't going anywhere until everyone that needed to be taken care of, was. Mac loved being in control- perhaps that's why he loved being the police commissioner so much- it gave him complete control. But during times like this he wished he has some sort of medical background, like his brother and niece, then he would know what was going on. "I locked up the house. I called the PCPD. I called Maxie. Is there anything I've forgotten" he thought when he heard "…Okay Mac, here's what's happening…."

After what seemed like forever, the rain got lighter and Maxie finally arrived at General Hospital. She pulled into the parking deck, found a space close to the entrance, and turned off her car. She gathered her things and began to walk towards the glass doors that she had spent so much time behind. Suddenly something came over Maxie and she stopped where she was standing, just stopped, staring ahead at the hospital. Maxie didn't know why, but she couldn't find the strength to put her hands on the doors. So many things had happened here, from her heart transplant to Jesse being shot, and everything had always turned out fine, why should this time be any different? Deep down she felt that when she walked through those doors and into the waiting room, a place that was almost her second home, her life was going to change.

As Jesse got out of his car at the hospital he saw Maxie standing at the doors. Every time his eyes fell on her it was like he was seeing her for the first time. There was something about Maxie that was different from every other girl he had been with; he didn't know what it was, only that he would do anything to keep it forever. He walked over to her, placed his hands around her waist, softly kissing her neck. Maxie closed her eyes as she felt Jesse's strong hands wrapped around her. In that moment she no longer trembled with fear of the unknown. She now had all the strength she needed to walk through those doors no matter what was waiting on the other side.

"Hi" Maxie whispered as she turned to face him and gaze into his beautiful blue eyes.

"Maxie, why are you standing outside in the rain, you could catch cold" asked Jesse.

Maxie just smiled "I'm not sure, I was on my way in but for some reason I just couldn't bring myself to open the doors, but I'm ready now that you're here."

"Are you sure, because we can wait a few more minutes, I don't want you to do anything that might endanger your health, stress isn't good for your heart" replied Jesse.

Maxie just looked at him with a grin on her face as she put her arms around his neck and placed her forehead gently on his. "You know, as hot as you looked in those scrubs last summer, the last time I checked, you're a cop, not a doctor".

"I'm just looking out for you, I'd hate not to see your beautiful face everyday" smiled Jesse. Maxie smiled back, their eyes connected and Jesse delicately placed his lips on hers. They became lost in each other's kisses as the rain began to fall silently to the ground. It wasn't until the rain began to fall faster that they remembered where they were.

"As much as I hate saying this…. We better go inside… Mac is waiting and the rain is starting to fall harder" said Jesse.

"You're right" Maxie sighed "well…. Here goes nothing". Maxie let go of Jesse's neck turned around and began to walk inside. Then Jesse grabbed her hand and turned her around "Maxie wait! I want you to know that whatever happens I promise not to leave your side."

"Thanks Jesse, I'm going to hold you to that" said Maxie.

"Maxie, one more thing…."

"What?"

"Is that my shirt you're wearing? I've been looking everywhere for that".

Maxie grinned "And what if it is? You're not going to arrest me for stealing are you officer?"

Jesse laughed "I think I'll let you off with a warning this time, besides it looks _really _good on you".

Maxie laughed and tightly grasping Jesse's hand she pushed opened the door that lead into General Hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

As Maxie and Jesse walked into the waiting room the scene they came upon was unbelievable. There were people everywhere, doctors and nurses running around franticly, and families with looks of pure terror on their faces.

"Jesse, what happened here?" said Maxie.

"I have no idea- let's find your dad- he probably knows" replied Jesse.

They looked around until they spotted Mac standing in a corner with Tracy Quatermaine. This worried Maxie for two reasons- she didn't see Georgie- and she knew that if Mac had a choice he would rather have a root canal the associate with Tracy, especially given her latest gimmick of trying fake her own death after Luke had threatened to kill her. Jesse and Maxie held each other's hands tightly and pushed their way through the chaotic crowd.

"Maxie!" Mac yelled as he grabbed her and pulled her into the tightest hug he had ever given her. When he finally let go, he shook Jesse's hand saying "Beaudry".

"Sir" Jesse replied, returning his firm hand shake.

When they were at work Mac and Jesse's relationship was strictly business. They worked together well- and through Mac would never admit it- that past summer he turned out to be wrong about Jesse. Not only was he innocent- Jesse was an extremely hardworking guy, and a valuable asset to the PCPD. At such a young age, Mac respected him for the work he did. But when it came to his daughter, he had a long way to go. He knew that Jesse loved his daughter more than anything and would protect her no matter what, but Mac wasn't ready to let go of his little girl. He was slowly learning to accept it however, especially since he had seen how Maxie reacted when Jesse had been shot.

"Dad, what's going on"? Maxie interrupted. "Where is Georgie, and why, why are you standing….over here" Maxie whispered trying to not let Tracy overhear.

"Oh you mean why is he standing next to me? Really Mac- teach your kids some manners- but I suppose I can't expect much from her, look who you are letting her date, this so called 'Detective'" snarled Tracy.

"Listen Tracy, I don't think this is the time or the place-or really any of your business for that matter- now if you'll excuse me I need to talk to my daughter and her boyfriend…. In _private_" snapped Mac. Mac grabbed Maxie and Jesse pulling them away from Tracy's eavesdropping ears, just as Luke Spencer came out of a room and walked over to her.

"Mac you just called Jesse…" started Maxie, shocked.

"Maxie this is not the time, I need to tell you what's going on. Earlier today Luke returned bringing with him a so-called souvenir, a monkey, from the Markam Islands. He claims that it was a gift for Lulu. Hours after Luke's return, the monkey disappeared and Lulu began to feel faint. They took her to the hospital, where she spiked an unusually high temperature. At first they didn't think much about it, until they put her on an IV drip and an hour later she had only gotten worse. Then all of a sudden Dillon got the same symptoms and fever, so he has also been admitted. So far his fever isn't too bad, but Monica is starting to worry. Georgie was with him at the Quatermaines earlier today, along with Lucky, Elizabeth, Skye, and Nikolas.Georgie came with Dillon and then she called me, I came to General Hospital to lend her some support. Monica felt that Georgie should be admitted and monitored given her contact with Lulu and Dillon.

Maxie just stood there holding onto Jesse's hand for a few moments before she spoke. She had to have a few minutes to process what was going on. "Is she okay? What can I do? Can I see her? Do they need help here, they probably need some of their volunteer staff, and I bet Elizabeth needs some help" Maxie said frantically.

"No Maxie, I want you here for observation, I can't risk you having been in contact with Lulu, Dillon and Georgie, especially with your heart condition, they have a room all ready for you and…"

"…NO, Mac, I'm fine, I feel fine, I don't need to be checked out, I need to see Georgie and I need to help!" Maxie yelled.

"Maxie, calm down, at least just let them look at you, and then if you're okay, you can help, and I'm sure they will appreciate it" said Jesse "I'll even come with you".

"Alright, alright, but I'm telling you I'm fine, there is nothing wrong with me' said Maxie.

All of a sudden Lorenzo Alcazar came busting through the doors holding Skye in his arms, demanding that she be looked at immediately. Robin and Patrick ran over to them, trying to asses the situation.

"What happened Skye, have you been in contact with Luke, Lulu, or the monkey at all today"? demanded Robin.

"I feel really weird, I have headache, and I'm really dizzy" said Skye softly.

"She almost fainted on our way to dinner, so I took her here, what is going on" said Lorenzo sternly.

"Several people have come down with the same symptoms, ever since Luke has been back, Lulu is in pretty bad shape, we need to admit Sky immediately" replied Patrick. A nurse then led Lorenzo and Skye towards a room as Robin and Patrick gave each other looks of disbelief at what was happening around them.

"Robin, Patrick, is Skye showing the same symptoms" interrupted Bobbie.

"Yes, we just admitted her and she is being put on an IV….. She was at the Quatermaine mansion earlier as well" said Robin.

"Get someone on the phone and have them call everyone who was at the Quatermaines earlier, I want them all here, NOW" yelled Bobbie.

Maxie and Jesse were sitting down, waiting to hear her test results when she overheard Robin, Patrick, and Bobbie talking.

"It sounds really serious; I bet they're going to need all the help they can get around here… I have to stay and help" said Maxie.

"Maxie, are you crazy, you are absolutely NOT staying here to help, if they give you the OK, I'm taking you home immediately" replied Jesse.

"What? You just said earlier with my dad that I could help" questioned Maxie, her voice slightly raised.

"I know what I said, but I had no idea that it was this serious, you can't risk your heart".

"Since WHEN do you tell me what to do? Why can't you just support one of my decisions for once! When have I ever not given you support? I didn't want you to go into the tunnel when the train wrecked, but you said you needed to help, it was who you are, and I understood, and I stood by you, worried as I was!" shouted Maxie.

"This is a completely different situation Maxie! I knew what I was dealing with…. The doctors don't know what is happening to everyone, AND I don't have a heart condition! You do!" yelled Jesse.

"Are you going to pull the "heart" card every time something happens to me? You have no right to do that! It's MY heart, I will do with it what I want… and no one else is going to tell me otherwise! I'm going to stay here and help and whether or not you support me!" cried Maxie and she jumped up and ran over to the desk where Elizabeth was making phone calls.

"Fine! Be a stubborn brat!" yelled Jesse. Just then his phone rang, it was Lucky. Jesse needed to get down to the PCPD immediately; there had been a break in their case. Jesse grabbed his jacket and without looking back, he left, passing Nikolas on his way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

At the PCPD Lucky was waiting for Jesse to get there so they could stake out a possible drug operation at the docks. They had been waiting for an opportunity like this ever since Jesse and Maxie had proved Durant had been in fact shot by Murphy in order to cover up a Meth business. Of course it happens to come right as Lucky was about to plan a romantic getaway for him and Liz, but then again that's what life as a cop was like. If Lucky was going to make Detective soon (he really needed the extra income) he had to be on call 24/7 and ready to do whatever was necessary. This case had sort of taken a back burner since everything had happened with Manny- but they were now really close to closing the book on the drug ring. Lucky was just putting away some files when Hurricane Jesse blew into the building.

"Spencer! Are you ready, we should have been there hours ago, I don't know why you didn't call me sooner, we may have already missed our chance to bust these jerks!" Jesse said irritably.

"Whoa, everything okay there Jesse?" asked Lucky.

"Yes! Everything is fine, you don't have a problem do you officer?" shouted Jesse.

"Nope, no problem, sir" Lucky said through gritted teeth. He hated that Jesse could pull rank on him, especially when he was mad- usually because of something that Maxie had done or said. He didn't have time for the back and forth of their relationship. He liked working with Jesse, they actually made a really good team, but he really wanted to be of equal rank.

"Good, then let's go!" said Jesse as he grabbed his gun and badge and stormed out the door.

Later that night at the docks Jesse and Lucky were sitting in the dark watching and waiting for any kind of suspicious activity.

"Hey Lucky, I'm sorry about earlier, I – it's just that Maxie and I had a fight- _again_, and I just don't know if I can continue this back and forth bickering anymore" sighed Jesse.

"A fight, really? I couldn't tell or anything, you're not going to break it off with her are you?" asked Lucky.

Jesse sat silently for a moment before he answered "Well, I can't say that I haven't thought about it, we just fight SO much, but I don't think I could ever bring myself to do it, and I know that if Maxie ever wanted to end things with me it would be disastrous. I would be an emotional wreck, and I would probably take it out on any perps, which would probably lead me to be get suspended- again".

"Well since you put it that way- I hope you two stay together for my sake" Lucky chuckled "What was the fight about?"

"Well, I don't know if Liz has told you about what's going on at the hospital, but whatever is going on, it seems to be pretty bad. Mac called Maxie to come to the hospital to get tested after Georgie showed up with Dillon and Lulu at the hospital. So she got tested- and as we were waiting for the results Maxie had the brilliant idea that they needed her help at the hospital and she was going to stay. Well I told her she was crazy and that I wouldn't let her stay there just in case something would happen with her heart condition, not to mention with Manny doing community service there. And then she went off on me saying that I always use her heart condition as an excuse, when she is always supporting me and the situations my job puts me in. I was so angry at her- that she wouldn't listen- that I stormed off" answered Jesse.

"You must really care about Maxie… Liz and I have had a few rough times… and it took me a while to realize it, the kind of angry she made me wasn't because I didn't like her- it was because I loved her" offered Lucky.

"I know exactly what you're talking about but, I'm scared to tell Maxie exactly how much I do care about her. What I feel for her is different which is both exciting and scary; I don't want to rush anything, and when I do tell her just how I feel I don't want it to just be words, I want to prove it to her" said Jesse.

"Well, I wouldn't wait to long, and I wouldn't underestimate the power of truth, sometimes it's the only thing that matters. Once you get past a point, that's when you need to show her, remind her, that no matter what goes on in your every day lives, you never stop thinking about her. I'm actually looking to take Liz on a vacation, just so we can get away for a moment from all the issues we've been dealing with in the past few months" replied Lucky.

"I bet she loves it, where are you planning on taking her?" asked Jesse.

"Do you… wait, I think something is about to go down, yeah, yeah do you see them over there?" whispered Lucky.

"Shhhh, yeah, wait for them to exchange the packages…. Alright go, go now" Jesse yelled.

"Freeze! This is the Port Charles Police, you're under arrest!" Jesse and Lucky yelled as they pulled out their guns and ran towards the crime scene.

Back at General Hospital, Nikolas was waiting to hear from the doctors about Lulu and his test results. He had almost passed out at Kelly's while he was with Emily- so she took him to the ER immediately. He saw Elizabeth at the desk and walked over to her.

"Hey Nikolas- how are you feeling?" said Liz

"Uh, I'm alright for now I suppose, have you heard from Lucky at all? I've been trying to reach him, I was surprised he wasn't here already with Luke and Lulu" said Nikolas.

"He doesn't know about her yet- I tried to reach him- but he and Jesse are on an assignment- and he won't answer" replied Liz.

"Maxie have you heard from Jesse at all since last night" asked Nikolas. Maxie just stared as him with a curious look on her face- and then shaking her head walked away to check on Georgie. "Was it something I said"?

"Oh, that" answered Liz "They had a really huge fight over Maxie staying here to help- I sort of agree with Jesse- but I can also use all the help I can get".

"Oh man, I better go apologize, could you try and call Lucky again- Lulu really needs her family right now" Nikolas said quietly.

"Sure, I understand… are you sure your feeling alright- you look pretty pale"

"Just fine, don't worry" replied Nikolas as he walked away.

Liz picked up the phone and dialed Lucky's cell phone. No answer. "Where is he" she thought, She tried again, still no answer. Then she decided to call Jesse, on the off chance that Lucky's cell phone had died. A groggy Jesse picked up after about two rings.

"Hello, Detective Beaudry" said Jesse.

"Hey Jesse" said Liz with a bit of panic in her voice "Um, sorry to wake you, but I thought you might be with Lucky- I am trying to reach him but he won't pick up his cell phone".

"Oh, uh, no I'm not with him- I thought he'd be at the hospital by now- we busted the druggies hours ago". Jesse paused trying to think- with very little sleep- what Lucky had said he was going to do. "You know what he's probably at the station or something- I'll go check it out".

"Okay… Jesse are you telling me everything- it doesn't sound like it" questioned Liz.

"Yeah, no of course I am. No worries- hey is Maxie alright- I'm too tired to go to the hospital right now- which would probably lead to an argument between us" said Jesse.

"Yeah she's fine Jesse. Maybe still a little mad- but she is finding things to keep herself busy… thanks for getting Lucky- tell him Lulu is not doing well- Nikolas is here too with the same symptoms. He needs to come as soon as he can" said Liz before she hung up.

Once again Jesse got out of bed, got dressed and ready to go. He was so exhausted- running on about a total of 4 hours of sleep- plus the drug bust and Maxie was more then he could handle. He wasn't feeling all that well either, although he thought it was probably due to the lack of sleep. He remembered that Lucky had gone to check on the cabin he got for him and Liz for the weekend. Although he thought it was a bit odd that Lucky was still there. Just to make sure though- he would check the station first and then head to the cabin before going home to sleep and hoping that he could think of a really great way to make things better with Maxie.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **

Nikolas saw Maxie coming out of a patient's room and walked over to her. "Hey Maxie, I want to apologize for earlier- I didn't know about you and Jesse".

Maxie turned around and sighed "It's alright, I was wrong to be mean like that- I …" Maxie felt very dizzy all of a sudden and everything began to get very hot.

"Maxie!" Nikolas yelled as she fell to the ground. "Jesse" murmured Maxie. "Maxie, Maxie! Can you hear me" Nikolas grabbed her in his arms and felt her head- she was burning up. "EMILY! Someone help, quickly!" Just then Patrick and Robert came running.

"What happened" said Patrick as he felt Maxie for a pulse. He looked at Nikolas with a blank expression on his face. "She doesn't have a pulse- we have to get her to the ER immediately". Patrick lifted Maxie up in his arms and ran.

Patrick brought Maxie into the ER where Robin began working frantically- checking vitals- hooking her up to IV's and a heart monitor.

"She's having a heart attack" yelled Robin. "Someone needs to tell Mac"

"I'll go Robin" said Robert quickly.

"I don't know if she's going to pull out of this one- she's already had one heart transplant and I think she has the same virus as everyone else" remarked Patrick.

"We're losing her" said a nurse.

Robin and Patrick looked at each other. Patrick noticed a look of fear and terror creeping into Robin's eyes and his heart melted. He didn't know if she would be able to handle this, and he was worried about her HIV and the effects of the virus. He quickly worked to help Robin save her cousin- they were going to have take drastic measures in order to save Maxie's life.

Mac was just coming back from getting him and Georgie some coffee when he heard a voice he was sure he had imagined.

" Mac, thank god, I've found you" said Robert as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"Robert, I though, we all thought…" stammered Mac.

"… Thought I was dead, yeah I know, there is some explaining to do, but not now, something has happened- Maxie had a heart attack".

"What! Where is she? When… why hasn't anyone told me, I have to see her" cried Mac as his faced turned white. Mac ran into the ER where he saw Robin and Patrick. "Robin, what's going on? Is Maxie going to be alright?"

Robin just looked at him trying to fight back tears. Patrick knew she was taking this pretty hard. "Commissioner- Maxie suffered an almost fatal heart attack- she is stable right now, but she is in a coma… we have her on the transplant list, but she has already had one, which decreases her chances of getting a second heart" said Patrick trying his best to be compassionate and professional at the same time.

"She's in a coma? How could this happen, I just talked to her, she was fine" questioned Mac. There was a long silence before Mac said "Robin will you take me to see her, I need to be with her, and I need to find Georgie and tell her".

"Absolutely, I'll take you to her room and then I'll go find Georgie" said Robin. She took a deep breath as she led her Uncle towards Maxie's room.

Jesse finally reached the cabin just as the sun was rising. He didn't see Lucky's car or any signs that there was anyone around. He looked though the glass before trying to open the door. It was unlocked. He walked in, looking around at furniture that had looked like they had been covered for a while. "Lucky!" Jesse yelled. "Hey Spencer, are you here? Hello?" Jesse looked around but didn't see him. He didn't know what was going on. He decided that it would be best if he went hospital to see if Liz had heard from him yet.

As Jesse was leaving the cabin, he began to get very hot and started to sweat. He rolled down the windows and took off his leather jacket. "I really need to get some sleep" he thought. He turned on the radio to keep himself awake. As he was listening, the station interrupted with a news update.

"The Port Charles General Hospital has just been placed under quarantine by the Chief of Staff. They are warning the public of a possible outbreak of some form of encephalitis. Anyone in the hospital is unable to leave, and anyone who is not showing symptoms will not be admitted. The hospital is asking for people to please remain calm, and not panic. As of now not much is known about the origin of the outbreak, and therefore they are asking the public to remain inside and stay out of contact with members outside of their family, until further notified".

"Maxie is in the hospital, I have to see if she is alright" thought Jesse. He put on his siren and flew down the road trying to reach the hospital as fast as he could. When he finally reached GH, the SWAT team was placed outside, keeping people from entering or leaving the building. He got out of his car and ran up to a member of the SWAT team "I'm Detective Beaudry with the PCPD, I need to get into this hospital" ordered Jesse.

"I'm sorry, but we are not letting anyone who is not sick in this building" replied the man.

Jesse walked away trying to find another entrance. Then he spotted Jason and Carly suspiciously standing outside of a door. "What are you two up to?" asked Jesse.

"Nothing, we're waiting to hear on Sam and Sonny, they've both been infected by the virus" said Carly.

"Have you guys seen Lucky? I haven't been able to find him and he won't answer my or Liz's phone calls" asked Jesse

"I don't remember seeing him …." Carly stopped and looked at Jesse who was now completely pale. Then Jesse fell to the ground. "Hey! Somebody, he needs help, I think he has the virus!" shouted Jason.

A member of the SWAT team ran over and got the attention of a nurse nearby. The nurse got a stretcher for Jesse and brought him inside as she radioed that a doctor be ready for the next patient. Noah was waiting for Jesse when they brought him in. " He looks pretty bad, we're out of rooms, just put him wherever you can find room, get him on some fluids, and let me know if he gets worse" said Noah as he walked away to find Patrick and Robin.

Jesse woke to find Maxie in his arms. He looked at her beautiful face and couldn't help but smile at her. He had been so fortunate to find her, the things he had learned about life and love in the short time he had known her made him realize that he was meant to spend the rest of his life taking care of her, protecting her, and loving her. He smiled as he wiped a hair from her face. Maxie felt the warmth of Jesse's touch and smiled. She didn't even have to open her eyes, she knew his touch, the curve of his face, the sound of his voice, she knew everything about him and loved every bit of him.

"Morning baby" Jesse whispered as he placed his lips to her forehead.

"Hi" Maxie smiled back as she stretched her arms, "Can we stay like this all day? I don't want to leave your arms; I've spent far too much time without them".

"Don't I know it, I'm sorry that my assignment kept me away for so long but I'm back now with time off, so you're going to get to see a lot of me, like it or not".

Maxie didn't say anything, she just leaned towards Jesse and buried her head in his chest. She began to trace her fingers on his stomach and slowly traveled up to his soft, sweet lips. He took her fingers and entwined them in his, and then slowly pressed his lips against hers, first softly and then harder. Jesse was experiencing a moment of utter perfection; there wasn't a thing that he would change, not now, not ever. Then Jesse heard a voice that was growing louder and louder.

"Jesse…. Jesse, can you hear me?"

Jesse opened his eyes to see Patrick Drake standing above him. He looked around and realized that he was in a hospital bed, connected to several monitors. "What happened to me?" he asked.

"You were the latest victim of the virus, you passed out in the parking lot by the entrance" answered Patrick. "How are you feeling?"

"Yeah, I actually am, how long have I been in here?" replied Jesse

"Good to hear… about 4 days now I believe, we were able to isolate antibodies from Luke Spencer and create a cure, we ran out, so not everyone was able to get some, you however were lucky" said Patrick.

"Lucky, have they found him yet? I tried to tell Jason and Carly about it, but I think that's when I lost consciousness."

"I haven't heard word on Lucky Spencer at all"

"Is everyone else okay? Maxie, is she alright?" Jesse asked quickly.

Patrick paused before answering "Jesse, I probably shouldn't be telling you this, because you're not completely out of danger yet, but Maxie suffered a severe heart attack and is still in a coma, we don't know if she is going to be able to pull out of it".

Jesse just lay there silent. The last thing he had said to Maxie was that she was a spoiled brat; he couldn't breathe, it was as if someone had dropped an anvil on his chest. He didn't know what to do, say, or even think. "Can I see her?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know; I'll have to check with her family, I'll be back" said Patrick. Jesse watched him walk out of the room and as soon as the door closed behind him Jesse let the tears he had been fighting back stream down his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

It had been three days since Maxie had her heart attack. She was still in a coma, unresponsive to the doctors or family. There had been no word on any available heart transplants- and her family was beginning to lose faith. Mac and Georgie tried to be with her every minute possible, but Georgie also left to occasionally check on Dillon, and Mac was sometimes needed to help control the people on either side of quarantine. At first the doctors thought that they had found a way to cure everyone with a serum from Luke, but they quickly ran out. Those who were given it were slowly recovering, but there were still some in danger. Lulu- had not shown very much improvement at all after she was finally given the serum. Sam, Skye, Jesse, Sonny, Nikolas and Dillon had all began to improve. Lucky was still missing, and Elizabeth was growing anxious of not hearing from him. All the doctors were exhausted and it was becoming apparent that they didn't have much hope for the rest of the patients who hadn't received any treatment.

Patrick yawned as he walked over to Jesse's bed to check his vitals. Even though Patrick had himself given Jesse the antibodies to the virus, he wondered if that's really what had helped him recover. The minute Jesse had found out about Maxie- he began to improve. Patrick couldn't let him see Maxie until he was sure that he was no longer a carrier of the virus, Maxie was already in danger of losing her life, because of her heart, and they didn't need to add the threat of encephalitis to that. But in all his years as a doctor Patrick had learned the power that love could have on a patient. Sometimes patients in critical condition had shown miraculous improvement the minute a loved one was there to just hold their hand- even if it was for a second.

"You've shown a lot of improvement since yesterday Jesse, how do you feel on a scale from one to ten?" asked Patrick.

"7 or 8, do you think that I'm safe enough to go visit Maxie, I really need to see her, even if it's just for a moment" replied Jesse.

"Tell you what- I'm going to get some of your blood tested and if it comes up clean, I see no reason why you can't see her".

"Okay, thanks Patrick" said Jesse. Patrick had a nurse take a sample of Jesse's blood and then rush it to the lab to be tested. While he was having blood taken Jesse thought of Maxie and everything he was going to tell her when she woke up- because she would wake up- Jesse was holding on to faith with every fiber of his being. He knew Maxie, she was stubborn and strong, and he knew that she wasn't going to give up without a fight.

Four hours later Elizabeth walked into Jesse's room, to check his IV and temperature. "Hey Jesse, I'm glad to see you've come around, are you feeling better?" asked Elizabeth.

"I really want to get out of this bed and go see Maxie; I can't stand laying here in this hospital bed when she's struggling for her life. I feel completely helpless, it's the worst feeling that I've ever had" Jesse said.

"I know how you feel, no one has heard from Lucky yet, and I can't leave the hospital because of the quarantine, and I haven't seen Cameron in days. Jason and Carly went off to look for Lucky while they are looking for something that Robin and Patrick sent them out to get. They haven't been heard from in two days though, and to top it all off Tony Jones has come down with a fever, and his prognosis is not good. Everyone is worried about him, the hospital staff is going through a pretty rough time".

"How did this happen Elizabeth, how did everything fall apart, Do you know that the last time I spoke to Maxie, we were fighting, albeit that's a daily occurrence for us, but If I had known that something like this was about to happen, I would never have left her side, I hope she can forgive me when she wakes up".

"You know, I think you might be the only person who believes that Maxie is going to make a full recovery, Mac and Georgie aren't very optimistic given Maxie's past history".

"I have to believe she is going to be alright, I haven't told her how I feel about her, and I won't let her go until I have that opportunity- I would give her my heart if I could" said Jesse.

Just then Patrick walked in. "Jesse, I have some good news, your blood work came back negative. I can't let you go home, until the quarantine is over, but I see no reason to keep you from seeing Maxie".

"Are you serious? Can I go now and see her?" asked Jesse.

"Sure, but you need to be very careful and I don't want you to spend too much time there, you need your rest" said Patrick. "Elizabeth, you can take him off the IV now". Patrick left the room and Jesse immediately got out of bed as Elizabeth removed his IV. "I'm on my way to check on Maxie now, I'll take you with me" said Elizabeth. Jesse took a deep breath and followed Elizabeth.

As he walked through the ER he saw the chaos and destruction that had been caused by the outbreak. There were people in beds in the hall because there weren't enough rooms. The doctors walked around in protective gear as they visited each patient, everyone looked exhausted. Soon they reached Maxie's room. Mac and Georgie weren't around and as he walked into the room his heart sunk. In bed lay his beautiful Maxie. She looked peaceful, like she was only sleeping and would wake up soon. He pulled a chair up next to her bed and sat down. He grabbed her hand in his and kissed it.

Jesse held tightly to Maxie's hand as he asked "Elizabeth, can she hear me?"

"No one knows, but I'm sure it won't hurt to say something to her, she's seems stable, I'll leave you alone and I'll be back to check on her in a little bit" said Elizabeth, and then she left the room.

"Maxie, I am so sorry that I wasn't here for you, you must have been so scared" Jesse whispered as tears began to stream down his face. "I want you to know that when you come out of this- and you will- I will be the first person you see. And everyday after that for the rest of your life- if you'll have me- I will be the first thing you wake up to in the morning and the last before you go to bed at night. I never realized it before, but nothing in my life has ever mattered or been more important than you. I need you to be alright, for me, I won't let you leave me, not now, I need to see those gorgeous blue eyes". Jesse swept her hair away from her eyes and kissed her forehead. "Maxie" he whispered "I love you".


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

It had now been a two and half weeks since Maxie's heart attack. There was no change in her condition, she was still unresponsive to anyone, and yet she was stable. Her heart showed signs of getting stronger since she had been placed on a stronger heart medication through her IV. Carly and Jason had been able to acquire the drug that Robin and Patrick had sent them for, enabling them to mass produce the serum for everyone in the hospital. Alexis, Sonny, Sam, Nikolas, Dillon and even Lulu had all been released and the hospital was no longer under quarantine. Robert Scorpio had remained to try and find out the origin of the virus- Luke and the PCPD were working together to try and find Lucky who had still not shown up. Everything seemed to be returning to normal with the exception of Maxie. At first the doctors had thought that the virus had brought on the heart attack, but there wasn't enough evidence at this point to confirm that theory.

Jesse hadn't left Maxie's side since he first saw her and proclaimed his feelings for her. He felt that deep down somewhere inside her, she heard him. He only left for short breaks to stretch his legs, or get some food, other than that he just sat in the room, sleeping with his head in Maxie's lap. Mac and Georgie tried to convince Jesse to go home and catch up on sleep several times, but they were unsuccessful. At first Mac and Jesse argued, but as the days wore on Mac realized that Jesse was just as stubborn as Maxie, he wasn't going anywhere. In a way it was a comfort to Mac, in case something happened, he knew that someone would be there for his daughter.

Jesse was sleeping in the chair he had pulled up next to Maxie when he thought he heard her speak. He looked up and saw her fluttering her eyes. He jumped up and ran to the door "Hey Someone, I think she is awake! Come quick!" he screamed. He rushed over to grab her hand.

"Maxie, are you awake it's Jesse" he asked softly.

Maxie slowly opened her eyes; she looked around at the hospital room she was in. It didn't look familiar and she had no idea what had happened. Then she realized that someone was in the room with her, he was holding her hand. She looked at him, and their blue eyes connected. There was something about his eyes that she thought she knew, but she couldn't be sure. She pulled her hand away. Jesse seemed confused, but he didn't think much of it.

"Maxie, thank god you're alright, I have to tell you this now before I bust…. I love you, I love you so much, and I am so glad that you're alright" Jesse cried.

"I'm sorry, you… you love me, I don't know what to say…" said Maxie

"I know it wasn't the most romantic place or time, but this whole virus situation has put things in perspective, and I am going to tell you everyday for the rest of our lives, that I love you".

"How can you love me, we don't even know each other" whispered Maxie.

A look of shock came over Jesse's face and his mouth began to get very dry. He was confused, how did she not remember him? Then Patrick and Robin came into the room.

Jesse could barely find the words and when he finally did his words were barely audible. "She… she doesn't remember me, I think… I mean I don't think she remembers anything" as the words came out of his mouth, his heart broke.

"Jesse I think it would be a good idea if you left us alone with Maxie for a little bit" said Robin. "We'll talk to you in a little bit".

"Alright, I'll wait outside" said Jesse as he walked towards the door. As he was grabbing the handle he looked back at Maxie just for a moment, and then he left. Once outside the room he slid to the ground and put his hands in his head. "How could I have been so stupid, I should have told her since the first day I met her" he thought.

Just then Mac and Georgie walked up, they had heard that Maxie was awake and they came as fast as they could. They saw Jesse sitting on the ground outside of the room and he had a look of disbelief on his face.

"Jesse, is everything okay, we heard Maxie is awake, why aren't you in there with her?" questioned Georgie.

"Huh? Oh, uh, um…." Jesse tried to swallow but there was a large lump in his throat "… the doctors wanted to examine her first; they said they would be out in a minute".

"Is she alright?" asked Mac.

"Uh, yeah I'm not sure" replied Jesse.

Minutes later Robin and Patrick came out of Maxie's room. "Mac" said Robin "Maxie is awake and alert, her vitals are looking good, and she has a strong pulse, but she seems to be suffering from amnesia. She doesn't appear to remember anything, not even her name. Now this is probably not permanent, it is actually something that happens more than people realize when they suffer from heart failure. The time frame that is lost to memory varies along with how long the amnesia lasts depends on the amount of time her brain was deprived of oxygen. I think Maxie will come out of this soon, because we we're able to get her stable fairly quickly after her heart attack. But we're going to need to take things slowly and not rush her into anything, you need to be patient with her, this could last only days or it could be longer".

"How long is longer?" asked Mac.

"Worst case- months" replied Patrick.

Suddenly Jesse stood up "Months! There has got to be something we can do for her".

"All you can do is be patient. Tomorrow we'll start her in therapy sessions with Dr. Winters, and depending on what happens, we'll go from there. You can go see her, but I would suggest introducing yourself, asking how she is, and then leaving. Patients with amnesia who are overwhelmed can reject their therapy if they are pushed to hard" said Patrick. Then he looked at Jesse. "We need to keep the visits limited to family for the first few days until we know the severity of her amnesia".

"Wow, just when I thought we were out of the woods, but okay we'll handle this, at least she is alive and her heart is getting stronger" said Mac "Come on Georgie, let's go see your sister". Mac and Georgie walked inside and closed the door behind them. Patrick left to check on other patients and Robin walked over to Jesse.

"Listen Jesse, I know this is hard for you, especially since everyone knows how much you care about Maxie. It's going to be a long and hard recovery for her, so the best thing for you to do is to not push anything and be patient, don't give her too much information, if you understand what I mean" said Robin.

"You want me to be her friend until she gets her memory back, I can't tell her that we we're together, not yet anyways, can I?" he choked.

Robin sighed "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid not, perhaps it's better if you go home and sleep, you need it, and we'll let you know how Maxie's recovery is going". Jesse didn't say anything, he just walked away. Going back to his apartment at Kelly's to sleep was the last thing he wanted to do. But it was hopeless, there wasn't a thing he could do for her, except wait, and have faith that she would remember everything that they had meant to each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

"Beaudry!" Mac's scream echoed into the office where Jesse was sitting and filling out some paperwork on his latest case. "Get in here now!"

Jesse quickly got up and walked into Mac's office, "Yes sir?"

"Jesse, we've gotten a tip about Lucky's disappearance- and we think that it might have something to do with Manny Ruiz and the drug ring you two broke up a few weeks ago. I am assigning you to tail him for the next few days- watch him at Kelly's and General Hospital- see if anything suspicious looks to be going on" said Mac.

"Immediately, sir? I'm in the middle of a case that I really need to finish" said Jesse. Mac knew that Jesse had been avoiding the hospital since they found out about Maxie's amnesia. "Yes, immediately, now get going".

Jesse left the office and picked up his gun and badge- heading to the hospital. This was it- he finally had to face what he had been dreading for weeks- Maxie.

Patrick Drake knocked on Maxie's door and he came in.

"Good morning Dr. Drake" Maxie said cheerfully.

"Patrick, call me Patrick, my father is Dr. Drake, how are you felling this morning Maxie?" he asked.

"Oh, I'm alright- a little frustrated that I can't remember anything. Being stuck in this room all day doesn't help" said Maxie.

Patrick placed his hand on Maxie's neck and counted as he looked at his watch. Maxie blushed "he is so hot" she thought. "Well your pulse seems really strong- so how about I let you walk around the hospital for a little while- it would be good exercise- and it might help trigger something in your head" said Patrick.

"Really! You'd let me do that- you rock!" Maxie screamed. Patrick smiled and Maxie looked at him in awe. "Alright, just promise to take it slow- don't exhaust yourself, and if you need some help just yell" said Patrick as he walked away.

Maxie was excited to finally leave her room. She got up, grabbed some clothes, got dressed and looked at herself in the mirror. "Oh my" she thought "I look horrible, I can't believe Dr, Drake, I mean Patrick, saw me like this". She found a brush and some mascara in a bag Georgie had brought her; she pulled up her hair and lined he eyes. "Alright, well it's better than nothing" she said to herself. Then Maxie took a deep breath and walked outside.

Jesse walked down the hallway hiding behind different corners as he followed Manny through the hospital. So far Manny hadn't done anything suspicious; he mopped floors, changed bed pans, and carried away patient's half-eaten trays. Jesse was beginning to resent the assignment Mac had put him on, following a criminal while he completed his mandatory community service in the hospital where his g/f who didn't remember him was staying, the only thing keeping him here was the fact that it might lead to a clue about Lucky's disappearance. Manny was heading towards the desk, where Elizabeth was talking to someone who Jesse couldn't see. Manny walked over and began a conversation with the two women, Jesse watched intently just to make sure Manny wasn't going to try and pull anything. All of a sudden Elizabeth shifted and he saw who the second woman was. "What the hell? Why is Maxie out of her bed and talking to Manny Ruiz" thought Jesse. Without thinking he walked over to them.

"Ruiz, what the hell are you doing?" Jesse demanded.

Manny looked up with a smirk on his face "Detective, nice to see your feeling better, I see that you've come to check up on me, really sweet of you, but I'm just fine". Jesse's jaw tightened as he stared at Manny. "I was just looking for something else to do, I've done all my chores for today, so I thought I'd say a quick hello to Elizabeth, when Maxie ran into us" smiled Manny.

"Hey, how did you know…" started Maxie.

"… Get going Ruiz, I don't want you hanging around here with idol hands, go find something to do, or go home" Jesse interrupted.

"Yes sir, have a nice night Elizabeth, Maxie" said Manny as he walked away.

"Thanks Jesse, innocent or not, he still gives me the creeps, especially since, well, since Lucky, did whatever it is he did" Elizabeth said coldly. "I have to get going, I've got to go pick up Cameron, Maxie good to see you're able to walk around".

"Bye Liz" said Jesse.

"Bye, nice to um meet you!" said Maxie with a smile. Then she looked up at Jesse who looked right back, their eyes connected, and for a moment Maxie felt something very familiar. "Um… Hi, I don't think we've met, I'm Maxie Jones, or at least that's what they tell me" she laughed.

Jesse swallowed hard "I'm Jesse, Jesse Beaudry, nice to meet you".

"What was all that about, that guy? Why do they let criminals like him volunteer at hospitals?" asked Maxie.

"You remember who he is?" Jesse said excitedly.

"No, I just saw is ankle bracelet and assumed- was that wrong?"

"Oh, right, no, no yeah he was given community service after killing some people, but he got off on a technicality, it's kind of complicated".

"Oh, wow, what did he mean when he said it was 'sweet' of you to check in on him?" asked Maxie

"I'm a Detective, I work for your dad, I was assigned to follow him, just to make sure he isn't trying to pull anything, and also try and find out if he had anything to do with Lucky having gone missing" answered Jesse.

"Oh, how exciting, it's funny how I don't really remember anything, but I get the feeling that I like danger" Maxie laughed.

Jesse just stared at her. "It's probably not a good idea for you to go snooping around with things you don't understand- leave that sort of thing to me- besides I don't think your dad would be very happy if he found out you were looking into things that didn't concern you".

"Yeah he definitely seems the overprotective type, did we know each other before my hear attack, you seem very familiar to me" smiled Maxie.

"Oh well I …we…" stammered Jesse.

Just then Patrick walked up to them. "Hey Maxie, I think it's time for you to get back in bed, you've had enough exercise for today, I'll take you back" interrupted Patrick.

"Oh, okay" Maxie blushed and she began to walk back to her room, the she turned around "Jesse, it was nice to meet you! Maybe I'll see you here tomorrow?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure, I might stop by" he replied.

"Okay, Good, I look forward to it, bye!" she said smiling as her blue eyes sparkled. As Jesse walked away he got week in the knees, how was he going to get through this. "At least she wants me to come back tomorrow" he thought "maybe I will bring her something that might help her remember". Jesse walked towards the elevator on his way to Kelly's to get food and check up on Manny Ruiz. He needed to think… he knew he could do help Maxie remember, there must be something he could tell her or show her… but what?


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Maxie jumped as there was a knock at her door. "Hello Maxie, Can I come in?" It was Georgie coming to visit.

"Hey Georgie, come on in- I'm not doing anything interesting" said Maxie.

"How are you feeling today?" Georgie asked.

"Not too bad- I'm really bored- I've been looking through these pictures hoping something would jog my memory- but so far nothing".

"Oh, so you don't remember anything at all yet?" asked Georgie.

"Well I get these feelings- that something is familiar- but nothing ever develops. Dr. Winters says that's normal and usually patients experience something that jogs their memory- a touch, smell, maybe a sound" answered Maxie.

"So have there been any of those moments" replied Georgie.

Maxie thought or a moment and then she remembered about that cop and his deep blue eyes.

"Well, actually, yesterday I met this guy who said he works for our dad, I think his name was Jesse" said Maxie. Georgie's eyes got big and she moved around uncomfortably. Maxie just watched her curiously "…anyways, he was there on some assignment and when I looked into his eyes I got chills- like I knew him or something, but that was it… do I Georgie?" asked Maxie.

"Do you what?" said Georgie.

"Do I know him- you're acting funny, is everything alright?" replied Maxie.

"Oh, well, you see yes you know him- for about 10 months or so- he was around a lot- what with working for Dad and stuff".

"Is that all? Are you holding something back from me?"

"Maxie, I would love to tell you, but you know I can't- you're supposed to figure this stuff out on your own- I'm really sorry."

"Oh I know, don't feel bad Georgie- its just so frustrating. I wish I didn't have to stay here- being home might be better- but the doctors won't give me the okay just yet."

"Well, I'm sure they will let you out soon- you're making a great recovery, I've got to go- I'm going to see Dillon before work, I think dad might be coming to see you later- love you Maxie" said Georgie and she left.

"Oh, alright, bye!" yelled Maxie. "She was acting strange, I wonder what that was about" she thought.

Maxie looked around the room- she had looked through every picture album twice- and couldn't remember a thing. "I need to get out of here for a while" said Maxie to herself. She got up and left her room walking down the hallway- she was looking for something – she just wasn't quite sure what it was. As she walked by the admissions desk she noticed very pretty white tulips sitting in a vase. She stopped for a moment- and then she walked over to them and leaned into smell one. The soft petals touched her skin and she suddenly got a chill just like the one she had when she looked into Jesse's eyes.

"Jesse?" Maxie whispered. She looked around to see if anyone had noticed she was there. She walked back to her room quickly, closed the door, sunk to the floor and began to cry.

Mac was in his office doing some housekeeping before heading to the hospital to see Maxie when his emergency contact number rang. Mac picked up immediately "This is Commissioner Scorpio" he said quickly.

"Mac- its Robin, we need you to come to the hospital- Maxie's heart if fine so don't panic- but you do need to come whenever you get a chance".

"Okay Robin, thanks, I'm on my way". Mac replied. He hung up his phone, grabbed his keys, locked the office door, and went to his car.

Jesse was once again back at General Hospital. "For the amount of time I spend in this place, I might as well pay for a room and make it feel like home- it would save on gas money" he thought. He was walking down the halls, looking for Manny, trying to make sure that he was behaving himself, and hoping that in the process he would find Lucky. He hadn't known Lucky very long, but he had always thought he was a stand-up guy, not at all the type to just up and leave his wife and kid. On his way towards the ER, he ran into Robin.

"Jesse, hey, I've been looking for you, we have a little bit of a situation" said Robin quickly. Jesse immediately out of instinct put his hand on his gun. "Whoa, Jesse, slow down, it's not a police matter- it's personal".

"Maxie?" Jesse questioned

"Yeah, well why don't you just follow me, I'll explain everything in a minute."

Jesse followed Robin towards Maxie's room. As they got closer he saw Mac and Georgie and Dr. Winters standing outside of the room and the door was shut. He looked at everyone, curious as to what had happened, and why he needed to be there, especially since at the beginning he had been told to keep his distance, as not to interfere with Maxie's memory.

"Okay, earlier today Dr. Winters went to see Maxie for their daily session. When she walked in she found Maxie on the floor crying hysterically, she called me and we tried to calm her down but she kept repeating the same thing over and over. We gave her a sedative, so right now she is calm and asleep, but we need to discuss moving her from the hospital" said Robin to Mac, Jesse, and Georgie.

"I've talked with Robin and Patrick, and they feel that Maxie's heart is strong enough to allow her to leave the hospital. And I think that her best option at this point is for her to leave and get back to her normal everyday routine- I think she will get her memory back quicker this way" stated Dr. Winters "now if you'll consent to it, we'll release her today".

"Well of course she can come back home, this is great news" said Mac. "Where is the paperwork, I'll start filling it out now".

"Well, actually Mac, we don't mean to send her home with you, but we do need you consent to send her home with Jesse, if he'll agree" said Robin.

"Wait what! Send her home with Jesse! I don't understand?" yelled Mac.

"Me? Why would you send her home with me? She doesn't know who I am; she at least remembers her father and sister's names".

"Well when we found her, she kept repeating your name Jesse. We tried to ask her what had happened and all we could get from her was something about a tulip? And then the only way we could get her to calm down was by promising that you would come to see her. She obviously came in contact with something that reminded her of you, and we feel that she has only memorized her father and sisters name. Essentially they are strangers to her, to send her home with you Mac could have damaging effects. So we want her to go home with you, we think it's going to be the best way for her to finally remember. So what do you think?" said Robin.

"Well, I, I don't know, I don't really have much, just a room at Kelly's and I'm always working at the station, I won't be able to be there for her if something happens" stammered Jesse.

"Essentially that's the point, we want her to be in a place where she can be independent, but at the same time feel comfortable" said Dr. Winters.

"Okay, well, um" Jesse swallowed hard "I guess its fine".

"No, no, absolutely not, I will not let Maxie live with Jesse!" yelled Mac.

"Mac, listen, I know this is not your ideal situation for Maxie, but I really truly think that this is her best option" said Robin.

"Dad, maybe it would be best, we should listen to Robin, let Maxie stay with Jesse, its worth it if it means she will remember is sooner" pleaded Georgie.

Mac sighed "Alright, alright, fine, but Beaudry so help me- if you do anything to mess this up you'll never find work in another Police Department in New York, got it?"

"Yeah I got it" Jesse replied.

Jesse took a deep breath and opened the door to Maxie's room. He walked in and saw her sitting on the bed. Maxie looked up; she saw Jesse and ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him. "Jesse…." she whimpered. Jesse pulled her in close and closed his eyes. He placed his hands on her head and looked into her eyes "Maxie, let's go home".


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Maxie looked back at Jesse with a confused look in her eyes. "Go home?"

Jesse smiled, "yeah, they're letting me take you home today"

"I thought… wait, we live together?" questioned Maxie.

"Well, no, you're just going to be staying with me for a while until your memory improves. I only have a room at Kelly's and its not very big- but I will do whatever it takes to help you remember".

"And my dad… Mac, he's okay with this?" Maxie asked, a little taken back.

"Hah, well, not really but he doesn't seem to have much of a choice" said Jesse. "How about you get your stuff together- and then I'll take you to get something to eat".

"Oh, that sounds great- this hospital food was starting to get on my nerves" smiled Maxie. Jesse watched as Maxie put her things into a suitcase. This wasn't quite how he had pictured their relationship progressing to the next level. He had always wanted to make sure that he could support Maxie before they made any kind of serious commitment. But he was excited- he hadn't lived with anyone since he left his family years ago- it would be new, but worth it. Maxie finished putting her things away and zipped up her suitcase. She turned around and saw Jesse staring at her. She smiled and he smiled back, again sending chills down her spine.

"Alright" she sighed "let's go".

Jesse picked up her bag and threw it over his shoulder. Then he reaches out his hand for Maxie to take. She grabbed his hand, instantly feeling warm and safe- she didn't know much, but she did know that right now she was meant to be with him.

When they finally got back to Kelly's it was dark outside. Jesse thought Maxie looked tired so he immediately took her to his room.

"Well this is it" Jesse said as he opened the door "it's not much- but its home.

Maxie walked in and looked around "You weren't kidding when you said it was small" she laughed. Maxie looked around the room- at the hospital Maxie knew that she would feel comfortable with Jesse, but now looking around his room it felt oddly familiar.

"Have I been here before? It looks really familiar" asked Maxie.

Jesse blushed and cleared his throat "Oh, um, well, you have yes". Maxie raised her eyebrows "Oh really?" she said playfully.

"Maxie, it's getting late, I have to be in early tomorrow- and you've had a long day" Jesse said, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah, I guess you're right, I'm going to get ready for bed then". Maxie picked up her suitcase and went into the bathroom. Outside Jesse, pulled off his shirt and put on some sweat pants. He drew back the covers for Maxie, and grabbed a pillow and extra blanket for him to sleep on the floor. When he turned around he saw Maxie standing there watching him.

"You can have the bed, I'll take the floor" said Jesse.

"Oh, no, Jesse, I can't do that- I think the bed is big enough for us to share" replied Maxie.

Jesse just stood there looking at Maxie in her big shirt and short shorts, thinking of all the possible outcomes of their "sharing the bed".

"Hello, Jesse, where did you go" smiled Maxie "come on, nothing is going to happen, you stay on your side and I'll stay on mind".

"Alright, I didn't really want to sleep on the floor anyways" sighed Jesse.

They both pulled back the covers and got into bed. Jesse switched of the light and fell back onto his pillow, laying there, starring at the ceiling, and thinking. All of a sudden Jesse felt Maxie's hand on his and he turned to look at her.

"Maxie…" he started.

"Shh, Jesse, I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you've done for me, I know this is hard for you, to wait for me to remember everything, but I really do appreciate it" whispered Maxie. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then she turned over and closed her eyes.

Jesse starred at the ceiling for what felt like hours. When Maxie had kissed him, it took all of his strength not to grab her and pull her into a long, passionate kiss. So many thoughts were racing through his head: Would Maxie remember? And when she did remember, would she choose to still be with him? Jesse knew that if he was given another chance to be with Maxie that he wouldn't waste anytime in asking him to marry her. He loved her. He knew it, and he knew somewhere deep down she loved him too. They might be young, but if there was one thing he had learned in the past few weeks it was that time was precious and not to be wasted.

When Maxie woke up in the morning- she rolled over to find Jesse gone. She looked at the nightstand and found a note that said Jesse had gone to work, but that if she needed him to just call, and we would be back immediately. Maxie decided to take a shower and then go downstairs to get some breakfast. On her way down to the diner, she heard a voice call after her in the hall.

"Hello Maxie, how are you feeling this morning?" said Manny

Maxie turned around and saw that it was the criminal from the hospital that Jesse was supposed to be keeping an eye on. "Hello" she said cautiously "I'm doing better, thanks for asking".

"I hear that you'll be staying here with Detective Beaudry for a while" grinned Manny.

"Yeah, well hopefully not for too long, only until my memory comes back, I'm kind of hungry so if you don't mind I'm going to go eat" Maxie said quickly as she went downstairs.

Manny watched her walk away. "This could not have worked out more perfectly if I tried" Manny thought as he walked downstairs and left for the hospital with an abnormally large grin on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Jesse was exhausted. The work was really piling on at the station, whatever he usually did was doubled in the absence of Lucky, who had still not shown up. On top of that he had to make daily trips to General Hospital to make sure Manny wasn't violating parole. He stumbled up the stairs of Kelly's thinking that he would just take a nap for a few hours. As he walked towards the door he noticed that his door was wide open, he ran into his room and saw that Maxie's clothes had been thrown everywhere. He looked around and didn't see her anywhere.

"MAXIE!" Jesse screamed, he ran out into the hall, looking in every direction "MAXIE!"

"Jesse, what's wrong, why are you screaming?" Jesse turned around and saw Maxie standing barefoot wrapped in a towel with her hair wet. "Jesse, what happened?"

"Are you…have you been in the shower the whole time?" he asked.

"Yeah… where else would I have been?" Maxie replied

"Well I don't know I just saw the door wide open and when I walked into the room your clothes were every where and I thought something had happened" said Jesse.

Maxie looked around and blushed "Oh, well, about that, I was looking for a shirt and I couldn't find it, but I found it, and well it got a little out of hand, and I don't have a key so I've been leaving the door unlocked, and it must have just swung open".

"Oh, alright, as long as you're okay, and I'll look into getting a key for you, it's not a good idea to just leave the door open, especially with Manny Ruiz just down the hall".

"Yeah, he is creepy, he was trying to talk to me this morning, and I ran downstairs to get away" she said.

"Wait, he tried to talk to you this morning? What did he say?" questioned Jesse as his eyes deepened with seriousness.

"What, well I don't know, I think he asked me if I was feeling better- I didn't stand around and chat with him if that's what you're thinking" Maxie said a little taken back by the sternness in Jesse's voice.

Jesse realized that it wasn't Maxie's fault and he was sorry that he had gotten upset with her. "Look, I'm sorry Maxie, you're a smart girl, and I trust you it's just that I worry about Manny being so close to you, if I weren't around something terrible might happen, so you need to promise me that you'll keep your distance".

"Alright, alright, but Jesse I'm not stupid and I would appreciate it if you'd give me a little more credit!"

"Maxie, it's been a long day, I'm tired and I really am not in the mood to get into another fight about your overwhelming need to play the heroine of every situation" Jesse screamed. Everything inside was building up, all of his feelings about Maxie's memory plus being overworked was starting to explode.

"What the hell are you talking about, another fight? We haven't had a fight ever; in fact this would be the first one that I know of!" Maxie screamed back.

"No Maxie, that's where you're wrong, we have had fights, probably 50 at this point about you putting yourself in danger for no other reason then you're stubborn, and I'm sick of them. Our whole relationship has been one big fight after the other with make- ups in between. And if we're not fighting and making up we're probably not seeing all that much of each other, but you don't remember that. But I DO! I remember every minute of it, and it's killing me that you don't remember any of it. Because as much as it drove me crazy fighting with you, it drives me insane that I can't grab you right here and show you how much I LOVE YOU" Jesse shouted until his face turned red and he couldn't breathe.

The minute he stopped he realized what he had just done- he had told Maxie exactly what she wasn't supposed to know. Jesse looked at Maxie who had tears streaming down her face.

"You…. You love me? I … Jesse…." Maxie ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Seconds later she reappeared dressed. She didn't say a word to Jesse as she blew past him out of the room and down the stairs.

Later that night Maxie was sitting at the docks gazing into the water as she thought about what had happened earlier. The minute Jesse had said he loved her; every moment that she had spent with him had come flooding back into her mind. She remembered how he had been there when she woke up from heart surgery, how their first kiss was in a cabin when they were on the run, she remembered when Jesse was shot, and she remembered that the last thing they had done was fight. As each memory flashed in her head she cried harder and harder, until she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Georgie.

"Maxie what happened, why are you out here alone?" asked Georgie. Maxie looked at her sister and then jumped into her arms as she began to cry "I remember, I remember everything".

"You remember" shouted Georgie "Me, Mac, Dillon, the virus, your heart, Texas, this summer…. Jesse…?"

Maxie just nodded her head and looked at Georgie with tears in her eyes.

"Maxie, this is fantastic news, why are you so upset?"

"It's my fault Georgie, we had a fight" whispered Jesse who had shown up, knowing that Maxie would be here. Georgie just looked from Jesse to Maxie and Maxie to Jesse. "Oh, okay, well do you want me to go, Maxie?" Georgie asked.

"Actually do you think that you could go tell Mac and have him get my stuff from Kelly's, I'll be home a little later" said Maxie.

"Of course, he's going to be so happy, I'll see you later". Georgie turned around and left Jesse and Maxie just staring at one another.

They stood there just looking at one another for what seemed like hours until finally Jesse moved towards Maxie. He took a deep breath and said "I love you Maxie, I'm not sorry I said it, I'm sorry the way I said it, but I'm not sorry I said it. I know we fight a lot, and sometimes it gets frustrating, but I never ever would trade you and the fights I have with you for anything or anyone- and I just need to you to know that, should anything else happen to either one of us".

Maxie looked up at Jesse and his blue eyes, "I love you too Jesse and I'm sorry I never said it sooner, because there hasn't been a moment since I met you that I haven't been in love with you" she smiled as tears began to run down her cheek.

Jesse gently wiped the tears from Maxie's face and looked at her blue eyes. "Maxie…. Will you…" Maxie didn't let Jesse finish, she put her arms around her neck and pulled him into a kiss that made his head spin.

As soon as they both came up for air, Jesse grabbed Maxie by the hand and led her to Kelly's. They ran up the stairs at Kelly's to Jesse's door, he fumbled to get his key and open the door as Maxie kissed him on his neck. He finally got the door open, pulling Maxie into his arms and slamming the door. Maxie walked over to the bed and lay down as she waited for Jesse to lie on top of her. Jesse pulled off his shirt and walked over to Maxie, he placed his hand under her head as he gently kissed her neck. Maxie closed her eyes as the warmth of Jesse's breath made her body tremble. Jesse slowly unbuttoned Maxie's shirt and she played with his belt. Jesse kissed Maxie hard and long, gasping for breath when he needed air. Maxie grabbed Jesse at the waist and tugged at his pants until they came off and the she began to travel up his stomach kissing him and letting her warm tongue linger over his skin. They began to breathe harder as their pulses raced. "Wait…. Maxie…." Jesse gasped.

"What, why, I want this…" she whispered.

Trying to catch his breath Jesse smiled "I didn't lock the door" he got up, walked over to the door, locked it, double checked and then turned back around to see Maxie laying on the bed looking at him. She was wearing only a thin blue lace bra and matching underwear. Jesse walked over to the bed and laid himself on Maxie once again. He kissed her lips, first softly and then harder as she responded in kind. As they kissed, Jesse quietly fumbled to unlatch her bra. He ran his hand up her thigh as she moaned and trembled. Their breathing slowly became more sporadic, the closer they became, moaning one another's name, their chests rising up and down in sync, until they collapsed in each other's arms. Jesse and Maxie just looked into one another's eyes as their breathing slowly returned to normal. Maxie slowly closed her eyes as she nestled her head into Jesse's chest.

Jesse couldn't wipe the smile off his face; this was the best thing to have ever happened to him.

"Well, that was worth the wait" Maxie giggled.

"Maxie, you never let me finish what I was going to say at the dock earlier, not that I'm complaining of course" replied Jesse.

"Oh, well, what's stopping you now?" asked Maxie.

Jesse looked Maxie dead in the eyes "Marry me Maxie….marry me".


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Maxie looked at Jesse stunned; she was shocked and speechless.

"Maxie- did you hear me?" Jesse asked, judging by the look on her face that it was the last thing on her mind.

"Well, yeah I heard you- married?" she laughed "are you serious?"

"Completely"

"Jesse, I don't know, I'm only 19, and I just got all of my memory back- I love you, I really do- but, well can I just think about it for a little but?" said Maxie.

"Um, yeah, I guess that's fine" replied Jesse.

He kissed Maxie on the head, turned over and went to sleep. Maxie stared at the ceiling- thinking about what had just happened. So it wasn't the dream proposal she had always imagined when she was little. There were no rose petals, no waves crashing in the distance as the sunset painted the shy pink and red. Since she was a little girl that had how she had pictured her engagement day- there had never been a specific guy- not even a famous actor. Jesse had been the only guy she daydreamed of being married to- she was confidant that their relationship would last for a very long time. All the doubts she had about whether or not she could allow herself to give her heart away were erased the moment he spoke those three little words. All this time it was never the fear of loving Jesse that had prevented her from telling him how much she cared- it was the panic in his eyes every time she had been in some sort of danger. She had never wanted to tell him how much he meant to her should something happen to her heart- she would never forgive herself for leaving Jesse mourning for her. Maxie looked at Jesse and just watched his chest rise and fall as she listened to his breathing while he slept. This was the place she wanted to be- for however long she was meant to live. Maxie smiled, then closed her eyes and went to sleep. The next morning she woke up to find a note on Jesse's pillow.

_Maxie,_

_Gone to work. Make sure you go home- Mac will be worried. Last night was amazing- can't wait to do it again! Meet me tonight at 6- the docks. _

_Love,_

_Jesse_

When Maxie finished reading the note she got showered and dressed- packed the rest of her stuff and left to go home.

That morning Jesse was watching Manny at the hospital- hoping to break open this case about Lucky. He was fairly confidant that Manny was working for one of the Port Charles mob factions, and somehow Lucky had gotten information about something illegal. Jesse's theory was that Manny had Lucky somewhere- hopefully alive- he just needed to find out where- and then get evidence to finally nail Manny. Jesse didn't believe for a second that Many had changed- and he was going to prove it if it killed him. Jesse found that when he was struggling with some emotion that he threw himself into his work- if only to get away for a moment. Jesse hated Maxie to see him vulnerable in any way- and last night when she said she needed to "think about it"- it was all Jesse could do to keep himself from crying. The more he thought about it the more he realized it that it was not the most romantic way to ask someone to spend the rest of their life with you, especially when that person was Maxie- one of the biggest romantic's he had ever met. Jesse decided that night to make a better offer- one that she couldn't refuse. While he was thinking about all the details about tonight he saw Manny sneak into a supply closet while he thought no one was around. Jessed discreetly walked over to the closet and stood beside the door trying to listen for anything that Manny might be doing. He heard Manny's voice come from inside- it sounded a little agitated.

"Listen- consider it done- everything is going beautifully- there won't be any more complications" Manny whispered. There was silence for a few moments and then Manny spoke again "I know that's what I said last time- but I took care of the cop the first time- there won't be any more problems- consider the job done tonight- I have to go- I have floors to clean".

Jesse saw the doorknob turn and he quickly ran around the corner. So Manny did have Lucky somewhere he thought. Jesse pulled out his cell phone and walked in the opposite direction of the closet. He called the PCPD and asked for Mac.

"Mac- its Beaudry…….. Listen I have news about Lucky, would you like to hear that or talk about Maxie? Okay, I heard Manny say that he took care of "the cop" and that the job would be finished tonight- we've got him. I know that he doesn't get done with community service until after 8- so it can't be happening until later- if I had to guess I would say sometime around 11……alright, I'm on it" Jesse quickly hung up the phone and got onto the elevator. As the doors shut Manny walked out from behind the corner- having overheard Jesse's conversation. He just smiled and walked towards the ER.

"Wait… so he proposed!" shouted Georgie.

"Georgie, quiet!" whispered Maxie as she jumped off her bed and shut the door.

"Oh, right, sorry, well………"

"Well, what?" asked Maxie.

"C'mon Maxie, what did you say!"

"I had to think about it" smiled Maxie as she fell backwards on her bed and started laughing.

Georgie just watched her sister laugh and laugh "Maxie- you said you had to think about it- and you think ITS FUNNY!"

"No, no, Maxie, I think its funny because I don't know why I said it, I was surprised and we had just slept together for the first time and………"

"YOU SLEPT TOGETHER! Maxie Jones- why was I not called! This is huge! I mean so is getting married, but I mean- this is you and Jesse!" screamed Georgie.

"Call you? How weird would that be- hold on Jesse that was really great, but let me call and spill the details to my 17 year-old sister!" Maxie laughed.

"Oh, well I guess it would be a little weird, but still- you waited to tell me this long- was it good?" asked Georgie.

"GEORGIE! Okay conversation over…. I suppose to be meeting up with Jesse at 6 anyway… don't say a word to Mac, okay?"

"My lips are sealed….. As long as you promise to call me the second you tell him yes" smiled Georgie.

"Okay, okay, I'll call- if he asks again" replied Maxie.

"Oh he will- he will" said Georgie.

Later on as Maxie got closer to the docks she began to hear what she thought was a violin playing somewhere in the distance. She thought it was a bit weird considering the streets of Port Charles weren't the safest- and certainly not the best environment for a struggling musician. As she got closer she noticed the song was Unforgettable by Nat King Cole. Maxie turned the corner and as she walked down the stairs she couldn't believe her eyes. Standing on the dock, waiting for her was Jesse. He was holding out his hand for her to take. The docks were lit with white Christmas lights, and there were rose petals sprinkled along the ground in a pathway that lead from the steps to Jesse. Maxie walked over to Jesse and took his hand as the violinist gently played on in the background.

"Oh Jesse, what is all this about?" whispered Maxie.

Jesse smiled and got down on one knee as tears began to fall from Maxie's eyes. He pulled a small black box from his back pocket and opened it to reveal a beautiful 1/2 carat diamond ring with platinum band. Maxie gasped as her eyes fell on the ring and she couldn't help but smile.

"Maxie Jones- I asked you last night if you would marry me- and I can't lie and tell you that it wasn't a blow to my ego when you said you had to think about it. I know I may not be the richest man- I may live in a room above Kelly's- and have a job that is dangerous and doesn't have great pay- I know that I can have quite the temper sometimes- but I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with the one person in this world who has never doubted me for a second. This ring might not be much- but I am going to ask you again Maxie Jones- will you marry me?" said Jesse as he looked up at her with his gorgeous blue eyes and charming smile.

"Well it doesn't look like I have much of a choice" laughed Maxie.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes- that's a yes!"

Maxie held out her hand as Jesse pulled the ring from the box and placed it on her left ring finger. Then he jumped up and grabbed Maxie- he paused for a second to smile and take in her beauty- then he tilted his head and kissed his fiancée first softly and then harder.

Jesse and Maxie were completely absorbed in the moment when they were interrupted by clapping. Jesse grabbed Maxie and turned around and stood in front of him.

"Detective- you're a very lucky man- Maxie is beautiful- it's a shame that you won't be able to make your wedding" grinned Manny Ruiz as he pointed a gun at them.

"Whatever this is about Manny- leave Maxie out of it" said Jesse.

"Oh I would very much like to do that- but you see here is the problem- both of you know a little too much about what I am involved in- and I need no interruptions in order to finish my job and get out of this place" replied Manny.

"Listen Ruiz- this is between you, me, and Lucky- Maxie's got nothing to do with it- she doesn't know anything" shouted Jesse squeezing tight to Maxie's hand.

"When I kill you- she'll be a witness- and then she will know too much" laughed Manny as he caulked the gun and went to pull the trigger.

"Nooooooooo!" Maxie screamed as a shot was fired and Jesse fell on top of her.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Jesse! Jesse!" Maxie screamed.

"Maxie, shhh calm down- I'm alright, I'm fine. It's over" replied Jesse "Are you okay?"

"What happened- I thought Manny shot you" whispered Maxie as she sat up and threw her arms around Jesse's neck showering him with kisses.

Jesse pulled Maxie off his neck, holding her hands in his and placed his forehead to hers whispering "It's alright, baby, everything is over".

"Hey Jesse, can I get some help over here" said a weak voice from the other side of the dock.

Jesse turned around and smiled "Sure thing Lucky- after this one I owe you for saving Maxie"

"Lucky? Wait did you- you shot Manny?" asked Maxie.

Lucky grinned "Hey Maxie- congrats you two- yeah I shot him, felt good too, although that's strictly off the record Beaudry".

Jesse walked over to where Manny lay and he knelt down to check for a pulse. "Nice shot Lucky- I think you killed him- we better call Mac- he'll hang us for this one" he smiled.

Maxie got up and walked over to where Lucky was sitting on the ground. Lucky looked pretty beat up- his right eye was swollen shut and he had bruises up and down his arms.

"Lucky, what happened to you?" asked Maxie as she gently touched a cut on his cheek.

"Ouch, ouch" Lucky whimpered "I was following Manny to see that he was following his parole when I overheard him talking about finishing the drug job that Jesse and I busted up about two months ago. He must have seen me, because he snuck up behind me and knocked me unconscious- next thing I know I'm tied up in an abandoned warehouse downtown. Manny and some of his buddies- would occasionally come in and beat me- trying to get information on how much Jesse and the PCPD knew. When they told me about the virus that had hit Port Charles I was so worried about Liz and Cam- I knew I had to get out, I had the opportunity to escape almost a week ago, but then Manny came in here laughing about how you were staying with Jesse and he wasn't going to let the chance to get even with Jesse pass him by. So I waited until tonight- and followed him here."

"Well it may have put a little bit of a crimp in my plans for Maxie and me, but I am very glad that you were here partner" said Jesse as he walked up to them. "I just got off the phone with Mac- he is on his way, with Liz and a first aid kit".

"Thanks Jesse- and again congrats- I'm very happy – you two deserve the best" replied Lucky.

"You're so sweet Lucky" smiled Maxie "Listen, you need to take it easy- help will be here shortly- and you'll want to conserve all your energy for Liz". Maxie rubbed Lucky's arm and then got up and walked over to Jesse, pulling him once again into a hug.

"Well I guess we're going to have to tell Mac now, huh, I mean I knew we were eventually going to tell him, but I thought maybe we could keep it to ourselves just for a little while" said Jesse.

Maxie just laughed. "You do realize what this means don't you?"

"No I don't, perhaps you could explain it to me" said Mac as he walked up behind them.

"Mac" said Jesse surprised.

"Beaudry- you better explain to me what the HELL went on here tonight- Lucky is back, Manny is dead, and the dock looks like a scene right out of American Beauty" shouted Mac.

"Well, sir" Jesse swallowed hard as he held Maxie's hand tightly, she was squeezing back to show her support "Manny was holding us at gun point- about to shoot- he was going to kill me because I overheard him on the phone talking to his family in Miami about finishing the drug transfer that Lucky and I had originally busted. That's when Lucky showed up- and shot Manny- it killed him in defense".

"Alright, where has Lucky been and how did he end up here?" asked Mac.

"Manny kidnapped him- and he escaped tonight- following Manny- and saving us".

"Okay well that seems to explain all but two things- the roses and Maxie….."

"Well, sir, right before Manny showed up- I……….well………I asked Maxie to marry me" replied Jesse helplessly.

"YOU WHAT!" screamed Mac.

"He proposed Mac- and I said yes- we're getting married" interrupted Maxie.

"Maxie…." started Mac before he was interrupted by another officer who needed him to sign some paperwork in reference to Manny's death "when I get this place cleaned up, the three of us are going to sit down and have a nice long chat about this".

Jesse and Maxie watched Mac walked away and they turned to look each other in the eyes.

"Well, this night was certainly eventful" laughed Maxie as she put her arms around Jesse's neck.

"You could say that" smiled Jesse "You're not mad are you?"

"No, I'm not mad at all- I'm perfectly happy, actually" said Maxie.

"Maxie Jones- I love you" said Jesse.

"I love you too" said Maxie as she leaned in to softly kiss Jesse.

_3 Months Later_

"This is it Maxie- are you ready?" asked Georgie as she straightened the bottom of her crimson red bridesmaids dress.

Maxie inhaled deeply "I've been ready for this since the day Jesse walked into my hospital room".

"Maxie- you look beautiful" said Georgie with tears in her eyes.

"Georgie- stop that- you can't cry- or I'll start" laughed Maxie.

"I can't help it- everything is so wonderful- I'm so happy for you Maxie- you really deserve this"

"Thanks, Georgie- I sure hope you're right" replied Maxie.

"She's absolutely right" said Mac as he walked up next to Maxie. "You deserve this more than anyone Maxie- and I've never seen someone look so beautiful at their wedding, Jesse is very lucky".

Maxie couldn't hold it in any longer and the tears began to fall. "Thanks dad- thank you for everything" she whispered.

"That's my cue" said Georgie as she walked through the double wooden doors of the church and began to walk down the aisle.

Jesse was standing at the alter next to Lucky and Dillon who was remarking about how beautiful Georgie looked. All Jesse could think about was Maxie- he couldn't wait to see her walk through those doors. They had finally arrived at the moment that would signify the rest of their lives together. Jesse felt tears well up in his eyes as he heard the wedding march begin to play. Everyone turned to see Maxie walk through the doors- she looked so beautiful; Her dress was a beautiful strapless off-white gown covered in lace and her hair was loosely pinned back with a few curly strands falling on the side of her face.

Maxie's beauty took Jesse's breath away- and it felt like it took forever to walk the aisle on the arm of Mac. When she finally reached, Mac placed her hand in Jesse's and stepped back. Jesse and Maxie took one another's hands and locked eyes- this was it- the beginning of the rest of their lives.


End file.
